My Fickle Friend, Inspiration | How I Get Inspired

Hello Friends!Isn't it interesting how one day you can be filled with bright, energized, & magnetic ideas, but come the next day you can't even find a somewhat cleaned up idea? I've gone through countless experiences like that (this very moment included). These changing tides are even more noticeable now in my adulthood since my work is heavily reliant on how inspired I am creatively. Thankfully though I have begun to notice patterns in my own life that both foster & hinder my relationship with inspiration.

The Hinderers

These bad-boys are sometimes so sneaky, I don't even know they're shooing inspiration away until it's too late! The following are some of the culprits that have gotten the better of me one too many times.

1. Distractions: Well DUH, Phoebe! Now hear me out, sometimes what distracts me isn't inherently bad or unproductive.. & that's what get's me! I have this thing where I stop what I'm doing in order to help someone who's doing something else & my mind get's out of that flow that fosters my creative-inspiration accumulation. Then it sometimes takes me a good amount of time to get back into that flow, if I get back into it at all before I have to move on to something else.

2. No Boundaries: This for me is kind of similar to distractions for me. Since I'm a pretty easy-going person I don't typically need a ton of structure throughout my day in order to function well. However there are some times where structure is precisely what I need in that given moment to tackle a particular project, but I just don't discipline my time some days when I probably should. As many say, there is (inspirational) freedom in boundaries!

3. Ruts: I'm not the only person who get's into ruts, right? For me, it's one thing to have a good routine going where I'm knocking out goals left & right as well as getting enough sleep (those are the dream moments let me tell you!). But it's an entirely different thing when I've gone a week or more with no variety. The weeks where I not only eat the same breakfast, but walk my pup on the same route, work on the same project at the office, sit in the same traffic on the way home, to read the same book I've been nursing for much longer than necessary. Out of all the other hinderers I'm convinced this is the worst for me personally.

The Supporters

These precious gems are can be illusive in this modern age. When I find them they can give me an inspirational buzz that I never want to lose.. yet sadly I still do sometimes because I'm human. So I'll be putting my tried & true gems here for safe keeping.

1. Helping Others: Yes I know that this topic came up when I was telling you about my resident bad boy clan, Distractions. But setting aside very intentional time to help others refreshes my soul which very much feeds into how inspired I am. Just this morning I was helping one of my friends by teaching her some social media tricks & giving her some insight on how to create thumbnails for her videos. To me it was just a simple moment of spending time with my friend & passing on knowledge before work. Nothing overly complicated or strenuous, but it still gave me a boost that could rival my cup of amazing coffee.

2. Going Analog: As fun & amazing as the digital world is, it can become more draining than it is fortifying in my life. So I've found that going back to good ol' analog practices for a few days cleanses my mind & spirit. I try to use as little modern (or at the very least internet connected) technology as I possibly can for as long as I can. I stop watching TV when I'm home. I'll play card games with my family. I'll take a long walk meandering walk with my dog. Write my thoughts in a, wait for it... notebook! *Gasp* Doing this so much fun for me now, that I actually look forward to having making time to do this.

3. Exploring: This lovely gem helps me tremendously when I've been in a rut. I'm going to be honest with you, I was very tempted to say travel here. But the thing is, for me travel is only as interesting as my will to explore where I am. The fun thing about exploring is the fact that it can be done anywhere! In your hometown or miles & cities away. Either way, there is always something new to be discovered. And it's in those times of discovery where inspiration is really given a chance to shine brightly.

I hoped that this was helpful for you in some way if you ever find yourself just out of reach of inspiration's presence. Trust me, you're not alone! Let me know what your favorite inspiration boosting gem is in your life. I just might add it to my collection too!